Security and insurance are not addressed by a great many places of worship, usually because of competing demands on their funds. This is a serious problem when a theft or damage occurs. The east side of England, in particular, has been experiencing a growing trend of organised crime. Suffolk Historic Churches Trust took matters into their own hands and launched a very successful campaign and grant scheme last year. NCT contributed a small amount to this, but was not in a position to extend the scheme. NCT started negotiations with security providers with a view to negotiating special offers for places of worship.
The HHCT has welcomed a new Security Funding Scheme announced by the Home Office. The first tranche has a very short window – only eight weeks and this opened a month ago. The deadline for the first round is 20 September, but there will be a second chance in March 2017. The scheme is open to individual applications from places of worship. Please note that while there is a list of approved suppliers under the scheme, places of worship should check with their insurers as to their approval when making their choice of contractor.
Details can be found here
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/places-of-worship-security-funding-scheme